1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to waste treatment systems having odor problems, and, more specifically to waste treatment systems which may be adaptable to closed covers. These include waste water treatment systems for treatment of chemical processing waste water, systems for treatment of ammonia and/or ammonium compound-containing waste, and for treatment of animal and/or human waste treatment, such as dissolved air floatation treatment. The present invention systems are closed systems which include ionic oxygen generation and treatment of undesired odors with the generated ionic oxygen.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The treatment of liquid and liquid-solid waste odors is typically either performed by the addition of chemicals to the waste, by scrubbing of effluents in some noxious environments, or by simple exhaust to the open atmosphere. In some situations, isolated ponding with evaporative removal has been utilized. However, closed covered systems using on-site generated ionic oxygen has not been used.
On the other hand, ionic oxygen generation has been available for removal of indoor air pollution, such as mold, bacteria and airborne viruses has been commercially available, but not within the system and manner described in the present invention.
The following United States Patents are of interest in that they illustrate waste water treatment methods and/or ozone generation, although the present invention does not rely upon ozone generation, but instead relies upon ionic oxygen generation:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,418 describes a method and system for wastewater treatment which describes and is particularly suitable for manure lagoons and pits. Specifically, an ozone gas is homogeneously distributed through an upper stratum of a contained liquid thereby creating an aerobic xe2x80x9ccapxe2x80x9d, while still maintaining an anaerobic lower stratum. A perforated tube or plurality of tubes fixed within the upper stratum serves to distribute the ozone. Alternately, a buoyant vehicle propelled across the surface of the liquid may also serve to distribute the ozone and create the ozonated xe2x80x9ccapxe2x80x9d. The vehicle provides an additional benefit of crust fragmentation and prevention thereby inhibiting and eliminating fly propagation, and hygienically improving lagoon or pit operation. In either embodiment, the ability to create an aerobic and anaerobic balance within the liquid facilitates a reduction in odor, a significant improvement of organic digestion and solids control, and a reduction in pathogens sometimes found in water recycled from the containment area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,809 describes an ionization field which is produced across the pumped air flow to a fuel combustion process to increase the content of oxygen in the stream, and the stream reactivity. This ionization field may be produced between a sharp electrode and a grid or sheet, positioned in a shielded structure like the filter housing on the engine intake. Alternatively, an ultraviolet light source may be used to ionize the oxygen in the air stream. If either form the air stream may be compressed before its ionization and then may be injected into the exhaust products of the combustion process. The ionization power may be modulated along with the demand. Thus the throttle position may be sensed to modulate the voltage multiplier levels across the electrodes straddling the air stream, in accordance with the demand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,844 describes an air treating apparatus which is a method therefore is disclosed that can be used in spaces occupied by humans or other mammals for deodorizing the air with ozone while the humans or other mammals are present. A housing having an air inlet and an air outlet defining an air flow passageway there between has a fan in the inlet for drawing air through the passageway and discharging the air through the outlet. The housing contains a transformer for supplying high voltage electrical power to an ozone generator in the air passageway for enriching the air in ozone and discharging a mixture of ozone in the air at a predetermined concentration. A potentiometer controls a timer for controlling the interval over which ozone is produced in an xe2x80x9con/offxe2x80x9d manner. The time averaged concentration of ozone thereby is controlled so that exposure to ozone does not exceed established limits over time. Thus, notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention system is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The present invention is a waste treatment system, which includes the following:
(a.) at least one closed, covered structure having flowable waste content ingress and flowable waste content egress and waste treatment capabilities within the structure, and having an ambient air ingress with predetermined volumetric air flow rates, and having an ambient air egress for release of air to the atmosphere; and,
(b.) an ionic oxygen generator connected to either the ambient air ingress or ambient air egress. A plurality of these generators could be included and could be located at or connected to either the ingress or egress, or one or more generators at both the ingress and egress.
The ionic oxygen generator is of sufficient capacity to generate at least 200 ions of ionic oxygen per cubic liter of incoming air, e.g. 1000 to 2500 ions of ionic oxygen per cubic liter, for removal of odor from exiting air before it is released to the atmosphere.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the closed, covered structure includes a cover which contains the ambient air ingress and ambient air egress, while in other situations, the air ingress and air egress may be in the structure or both the structure and the cover. Ambient air as used herein means air entering the structure from an outside source, and air exiting the structure with whatever additional content it may acquire while passing through the structure, such as ammonia or ammonium compounds, hydrogen sulfide and the like. The exact content of exiting ambient air is not critical to the present invention and such contents, as well as actual treatment details, are well known and are well within the skill of the artisan. The important feature is that the exiting air would have humanly detectable and possibly unhealthy odors and could be treated with ionic oxygen. Thus, the purpose of the present invention is to eliminate or substantially reduce such odors in a continuous, efficient and economic manner.
In some preferred embodiments, there is a cover and the ingress and egress may be located in the cover or elsewhere, but are advantageously located in the cover, especially in retrofitted systems where the structures, such as tanks, were previously uncovered.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the ambient air ingress and egress include an ingress channel and an egress channel, respectively, and there is further at least one air blower connected to the ingress channel and/or the egress channel. These channels may be constructed of any workable structures and materials, such as metal ductwork, metal, plastic, or glass tubing, or any other type of closed channel with open ends. However, in typical air blower/ circulation systems, metal ductwork is utilized and will suffice in the present invention.
The ionic oxygen generator is located at the ingress or egress, or near it, and may be located upstream or downstream from the ingress or egress, and in line with, but before or after one or more blowers.
In some embodiments, there is an external bypass channel connecting the ingress channel and the egress channel to one another and there is a valving mechanism which may be positioned either to permit ionic oxygen flow into the ingress and into the structure, or to permit ionic oxygen flow to bypass the ingress and the structure and to flow into the egress to thereby treat odors in exiting air before it is released to the atmosphere. In other embodiments, the valving mechanism includes a three way valve which may be positioned to either permit ionic oxygen flow into the ingress and into the structure, or to permit ionic oxygen flow to bypass the ingress and bypass the structure, and flow into the egress to thereby treat odors in exiting air before it is released to the atmosphere, or to do both simultaneously.
In other embodiments of the present invention, there is an internal channel connecting the ingress channel and the egress channel, and this internal channel includes at least one orifice located at some point on the internal channel within the structure so as to simultaneously permit ionic oxygen flow into the structure and into the egress channel, for simultaneous treatment of odor within the structure and of odor in exiting air in the egress channel before it is released to the atmosphere.
In some preferred embodiments, the waste treatment is waste water treatment and may include dissolved air flotation, e.g., with at least one covered tank containing solid-liquid waste content, and includes air pumps with sufficient pumping capacity to floatate a solid component of the solid-liquid waste content of one tank. Alternatively, a plurality of tanks or other vessels could be channel-interconnected with parallel, series, or both types of connections to create a matrix system with appropriate ionic oxygen generators strategically positioned to eliminate or substantially reduce odors.